Kami of the Crescent Moon

Card art for Kami of the Crescent Moon
Art: Darrell Riche · Wizards of the Coast

Commander

Kami of the Crescent Moon

Legendary Creature — Spirit

At the beginning of each player's draw step, that player draws an additional card.

Cards
100
Lands
36
Spells
64
Avg. MV
3.34

Mana curve spells by mana value

  1. 2 Mana value 0
  2. 5 Mana value 1
  3. 21 Mana value 2
  4. 14 Mana value 3
  5. 9 Mana value 4
  6. 6 Mana value 5
  7. 2 Mana value 6
  8. 5 Mana value 7+

Card types the 99

  • Creatures 7
  • Instants 18
  • Sorceries 11
  • Artifacts 22
  • Enchantments 5
  • Lands 36

How it plays

Kami is not a commander most would associate with cEDH levels of play, but there are a few fronts I lean into that make it an unsuspecting powerhouse. I’ve played this commander for the better part of a decade and continue to refine it.

Card draw is stax in disguise

The most obvious front is that I’m giving everyone impartial card draw. That’s really just stax in disguise. When everyone is drawing extra and rarely missing a land drop, the chances the other players have an answer for any given problem shoot up dramatically. With our excess of counterspells, playing this deck smart means letting people answer the smaller issues themselves, which works to our benefit without drawing any of the ire.

Everyone likes extra cards

The second front is psychological. Everyone likes extra card draw, and I’ve often been asked to play this deck despite its high win rate. It lets players do everything but win, and that’s a fun feeling, although it comes with its fair share of frustration after repeated wins and comboing “out of nowhere”.

Nothing worth attacking

Finally, since I allow these “problems” onto the field, my own board is thin: things that help my fellow players draw more cards, and some mana rocks. Everyone else looks like they’re on the verge of winning all the time, so I don’t draw much in-game attention.

The pieces

Howling Mine, Temple Bell, Dictate of Kruphix, Well of Ideas and Font of Mythos pile extra cards on top of Kami’s. A wall of counterspells (Mana Drain, Force of Will, Cryptic Command, Pact of Negation and more) decides which of the table’s answers and threats resolve. Twenty-two artifacts, most of them mana rocks, pay for it all, and Reliquary Tower means I never discard at end of turn.

When the moment comes, one of the loops below makes infinite mana and Laboratory Maniac turns an empty library into a win. Show and Tell into Omniscience or Kozilek is the shortcut.

The deck list

Grouped by card type, cheapest first. Tap any card to see it, and drag the window by its title to park it beside the list.

Creatures 7

  • 1 Snapcaster Mage

    Creature — Human Wizard

    Flash

    When this creature enters, target instant or sorcery card in your graveyard gains flashback until end of turn. The flashback cost is equal to its mana cost. (You may cast that card from your graveyard for its flashback cost. Then exile it.)

    On Scryfall ↗
  • 1 Laboratory Maniac

    Creature — Human Wizard

    If you would draw a card while your library has no cards in it, you win the game instead.

    On Scryfall ↗
  • 1 Trinket Mage

    Creature — Human Wizard

    When this creature enters, you may search your library for an artifact card with mana value 1 or less, reveal that card, put it into your hand, then shuffle.

    On Scryfall ↗
  • 1 Phyrexian Metamorph

    Artifact Creature — Phyrexian Shapeshifter

    (U/P can be paid with either U or 2 life.)

    You may have this creature enter as a copy of any artifact or creature on the battlefield, except it's an artifact in addition to its other types.

    On Scryfall ↗
  • 1 Solemn Simulacrum

    Artifact Creature — Golem

    When this creature enters, you may search your library for a basic land card, put that card onto the battlefield tapped, then shuffle.

    When this creature dies, you may draw a card.

    On Scryfall ↗
  • 1 Palinchron

    Creature — Illusion

    Flying

    When this creature enters, untap up to seven lands.

    2UU: Return this creature to its owner's hand.

    On Scryfall ↗
  • 1 Kozilek, Butcher of Truth

    Legendary Creature — Eldrazi

    When you cast this spell, draw four cards.

    Annihilator 4 (Whenever this creature attacks, defending player sacrifices four permanents of their choice.)

    When Kozilek is put into a graveyard from anywhere, its owner shuffles their graveyard into their library.

    On Scryfall ↗

Instants 18

  • 1 Pact of Negation

    Instant

    Counter target spell.

    At the beginning of your next upkeep, pay 3UU. If you don't, you lose the game.

    On Scryfall ↗
  • 1 High Tide

    Instant

    Until end of turn, whenever a player taps an Island for mana, that player adds an additional U.

    On Scryfall ↗
  • 1 Mystical Tutor

    Instant

    Search your library for an instant or sorcery card, reveal it, then shuffle and put that card on top.

    On Scryfall ↗
  • 1 Arcane Denial

    Instant

    Counter target spell. Its controller may draw up to two cards at the beginning of the next turn's upkeep.

    You draw a card at the beginning of the next turn's upkeep.

    On Scryfall ↗
  • 1 Cyclonic Rift

    Instant

    Return target nonland permanent you don't control to its owner's hand.

    Overload 6U (You may cast this spell for its overload cost. If you do, change "target" in its text to "each.")

    On Scryfall ↗
  • 1 Dramatic Reversal

    Instant

    Untap all nonland permanents you control.

    On Scryfall ↗
  • 1 Mana Drain

    Instant

    Counter target spell. At the beginning of your next main phase, add an amount of C equal to that spell's mana value.

    On Scryfall ↗
  • 1 Muddle the Mixture

    Instant

    Counter target instant or sorcery spell.

    Transmute 1UU (1UU, Discard this card: Search your library for a card with the same mana value as this card, reveal it, put it into your hand, then shuffle. Transmute only as a sorcery.)

    On Scryfall ↗
  • 1 Pull from Tomorrow

    Instant

    Draw X cards, then discard a card.

    On Scryfall ↗
  • 1 Disallow

    Instant

    Counter target spell, activated ability, or triggered ability. (Mana abilities can't be targeted.)

    On Scryfall ↗
  • 1 Forbid

    Instant

    Buyback—Discard two cards. (You may discard two cards in addition to any other costs as you cast this spell. If you do, put this card into your hand as it resolves.)

    Counter target spell.

    On Scryfall ↗
  • 1 Cryptic Command

    Instant

    Choose two —

    • Counter target spell.

    • Return target permanent to its owner's hand.

    • Tap all creatures your opponents control.

    • Draw a card.

    On Scryfall ↗
  • 1 Foil

    Instant

    You may discard an Island card and another card rather than pay this spell's mana cost.

    Counter target spell.

    On Scryfall ↗
  • 1 Mindbreak Trap

    Instant — Trap

    If an opponent cast three or more spells this turn, you may pay 0 rather than pay this spell's mana cost.

    Exile any number of target spells.

    On Scryfall ↗
  • 1 Turnabout

    Instant

    Choose artifact, creature, or land. Tap all untapped permanents of the chosen type target player controls, or untap all tapped permanents of that type that player controls.

    On Scryfall ↗
  • 1 Force of Will

    Instant

    You may pay 1 life and exile a blue card from your hand rather than pay this spell's mana cost.

    Counter target spell.

    On Scryfall ↗
  • 1 Gush

    Instant

    You may return two Islands you control to their owner's hand rather than pay this spell's mana cost.

    Draw two cards.

    On Scryfall ↗
  • 1 Spell Swindle

    Instant

    Counter target spell. Create X Treasure tokens, where X is that spell's mana value. (They're artifacts with "T, Sacrifice this token: Add one mana of any color.")

    On Scryfall ↗

Sorceries 11

  • 1 Braingeyser

    Sorcery

    Target player draws X cards.

    On Scryfall ↗
  • 1 Fascination

    Sorcery

    Choose one —

    • Each player draws X cards.

    • Each player mills X cards.

    On Scryfall ↗
  • 1 Merchant Scroll

    Sorcery

    Search your library for a blue instant card, reveal that card, put it into your hand, then shuffle.

    On Scryfall ↗
  • 1 Mind Spring

    Sorcery

    Draw X cards.

    On Scryfall ↗
  • 1 Transmute Artifact

    Sorcery

    Sacrifice an artifact. If you do, search your library for an artifact card. If that card's mana value is less than or equal to the sacrificed artifact's mana value, put it onto the battlefield. If it's greater, you may pay X, where X is the difference. If you do, put it onto the battlefield. If you don't, put it into its owner's graveyard. Then shuffle.

    On Scryfall ↗
  • 1 Day's Undoing

    Sorcery

    Each player shuffles their hand and graveyard into their library, then draws seven cards. If it's your turn, end the turn. (Exile all spells and abilities from the stack, including this card. Discard down to your maximum hand size. Damage wears off, and "this turn" and "until end of turn" effects end.)

    On Scryfall ↗
  • 1 Show and Tell

    Sorcery

    Each player may put an artifact, creature, enchantment, or land card from their hand onto the battlefield.

    On Scryfall ↗
  • 1 Windfall

    Sorcery

    Each player discards their hand, then draws cards equal to the greatest number of cards a player discarded this way.

    On Scryfall ↗
  • 1 Acquire

    Sorcery

    Search target opponent's library for an artifact card and put that card onto the battlefield under your control. Then that player shuffles.

    On Scryfall ↗
  • 1 Beacon of Tomorrows

    Sorcery

    Target player takes an extra turn after this one. Shuffle Beacon of Tomorrows into its owner's library.

    On Scryfall ↗
  • 1 Enter the Infinite

    Sorcery

    Draw cards equal to the number of cards in your library, then put a card from your hand on top of your library. You have no maximum hand size until your next turn.

    On Scryfall ↗

Artifacts 22

  • 1 Mana Crypt

    Artifact

    At the beginning of your upkeep, flip a coin. If you lose the flip, this artifact deals 3 damage to you.

    T: Add CC.

    On Scryfall ↗
  • 1 Mana Vault

    Artifact

    This artifact doesn't untap during your untap step.

    At the beginning of your upkeep, you may pay 4. If you do, untap this artifact.

    At the beginning of your draw step, if this artifact is tapped, it deals 1 damage to you.

    T: Add CCC.

    On Scryfall ↗
  • 1 Sensei's Divining Top

    Artifact

    1: Look at the top three cards of your library, then put them back in any order.

    T: Draw a card, then put this artifact on top of its owner's library.

    On Scryfall ↗
  • 1 Sol Ring

    Artifact

    T: Add CC.

    On Scryfall ↗
  • 1 Anvil of Bogardan

    Artifact

    Players have no maximum hand size.

    At the beginning of each player's draw step, that player draws an additional card, then discards a card.

    On Scryfall ↗
  • 1 Grim Monolith

    Artifact

    This artifact doesn't untap during your untap step.

    T: Add CCC.

    4: Untap this artifact.

    On Scryfall ↗
  • 1 Howling Mine

    Artifact

    At the beginning of each player's draw step, if this artifact is untapped, that player draws an additional card.

    On Scryfall ↗
  • 1 Isochron Scepter

    Artifact

    Imprint — When this artifact enters, you may exile an instant card with mana value 2 or less from your hand.

    2, T: You may copy the exiled card. If you do, you may cast the copy without paying its mana cost.

    On Scryfall ↗
  • 1 Sapphire Medallion

    Artifact

    Blue spells you cast cost 1 less to cast.

    On Scryfall ↗
  • 1 Surveyor's Scope

    Artifact

    T, Exile this artifact: Search your library for up to X basic land cards, where X is the number of players who control at least two more lands than you. Put those cards onto the battlefield, then shuffle.

    On Scryfall ↗
  • 1 Basalt Monolith

    Artifact

    This artifact doesn't untap during your untap step.

    T: Add CCC.

    3: Untap this artifact.

    On Scryfall ↗
  • 1 Commander's Sphere

    Artifact

    T: Add one mana of any color in your commander's color identity.

    Sacrifice this artifact: Draw a card.

    On Scryfall ↗
  • 1 Extraplanar Lens

    Artifact

    Imprint — When this artifact enters, you may exile target land you control.

    Whenever a land with the same name as the exiled card is tapped for mana, its controller adds one mana of any type that land produced.

    On Scryfall ↗
  • 1 Oblivion Stone

    Artifact

    4, T: Put a fate counter on target permanent.

    5, T, Sacrifice this artifact: Destroy each nonland permanent without a fate counter on it, then remove all fate counters from all permanents.

    On Scryfall ↗
  • 1 Rings of Brighthearth

    Artifact

    Whenever you activate an ability, if it isn't a mana ability, you may pay 2. If you do, copy that ability. You may choose new targets for the copy.

    On Scryfall ↗
  • 1 Temple Bell

    Artifact

    T: Each player draws a card.

    On Scryfall ↗
  • 1 Font of Mythos

    Artifact

    At the beginning of each player's draw step, that player draws two additional cards.

    On Scryfall ↗
  • 1 Hedron Archive

    Artifact

    T: Add CC.

    2, T, Sacrifice this artifact: Draw two cards.

    On Scryfall ↗
  • 1 Thran Dynamo

    Artifact

    T: Add CCC.

    On Scryfall ↗
  • 1 Gauntlet of Power

    Artifact

    As this artifact enters, choose a color.

    Creatures of the chosen color get +1/+1.

    Whenever a basic land is tapped for mana of the chosen color, its controller adds an additional one mana of that color.

    On Scryfall ↗
  • 1 Gilded Lotus

    Artifact

    T: Add three mana of any one color.

    On Scryfall ↗
  • 1 Caged Sun

    Artifact

    As this artifact enters, choose a color.

    Creatures you control of the chosen color get +1/+1.

    Whenever a land's ability causes you to add one or more mana of the chosen color, add an additional one mana of that color.

    On Scryfall ↗

Enchantments 5

  • 1 Copy Artifact

    Enchantment

    You may have this enchantment enter as a copy of any artifact on the battlefield, except it's an enchantment in addition to its other types.

    On Scryfall ↗
  • 1 Power Artifact

    Enchantment — Aura

    Enchant artifact

    Enchanted artifact's activated abilities cost 2 less to activate. This effect can't reduce the mana in that cost to less than one mana.

    On Scryfall ↗
  • 1 Dictate of Kruphix

    Enchantment

    Flash (You may cast this spell any time you could cast an instant.)

    At the beginning of each player's draw step, that player draws an additional card.

    On Scryfall ↗
  • 1 Well of Ideas

    Enchantment

    When this enchantment enters, draw two cards.

    At the beginning of each other player's draw step, that player draws an additional card.

    At the beginning of your draw step, draw two additional cards.

    On Scryfall ↗
  • 1 Omniscience

    Enchantment

    You may cast spells from your hand without paying their mana costs.

    On Scryfall ↗

Lands 36

  • 33 Island

    Basic Land — Island

    (T: Add U.)

    On Scryfall ↗
  • 1 Reliquary Tower

    Land

    You have no maximum hand size.

    T: Add C.

    On Scryfall ↗
  • 1 Strip Mine

    Land

    T: Add C.

    T, Sacrifice this land: Destroy target land.

    On Scryfall ↗
  • 1 Terrain Generator

    Land

    T: Add C.

    2, T: You may put a basic land card from your hand onto the battlefield tapped.

    On Scryfall ↗

The combos

Tap a piece to pull up the card, so the maths can be checked.

  • Infinite colourless mana

    Power Artifact on a Monolith

    • 1 Power Artifact

      Enchantment — Aura

      Enchant artifact

      Enchanted artifact's activated abilities cost 2 less to activate. This effect can't reduce the mana in that cost to less than one mana.

      On Scryfall ↗
    • 1 Basalt Monolith

      Artifact

      This artifact doesn't untap during your untap step.

      T: Add CCC.

      3: Untap this artifact.

      On Scryfall ↗

    Power Artifact cuts Basalt Monolith's untap cost from three to one. It taps for three, so every loop nets two. Grim Monolith works too: its untap drops to two and each loop nets one.

  • Infinite colourless mana

    Rings and Basalt

    • 1 Rings of Brighthearth

      Artifact

      Whenever you activate an ability, if it isn't a mana ability, you may pay 2. If you do, copy that ability. You may choose new targets for the copy.

      On Scryfall ↗
    • 1 Basalt Monolith

      Artifact

      This artifact doesn't untap during your untap step.

      T: Add CCC.

      3: Untap this artifact.

      On Scryfall ↗

    Tap Basalt for three and pay that to start untapping it, then pay two to copy the untap with Rings. The copy untaps it first, so it taps again before the original resolves. With two spare mana to start, each loop nets one.

  • Infinite mana, infinite untaps

    Scepter and Reversal

    • 1 Isochron Scepter

      Artifact

      Imprint — When this artifact enters, you may exile an instant card with mana value 2 or less from your hand.

      2, T: You may copy the exiled card. If you do, you may cast the copy without paying its mana cost.

      On Scryfall ↗
    • 1 Dramatic Reversal

      Instant

      Untap all nonland permanents you control.

      On Scryfall ↗

    Imprint Dramatic Reversal on the Scepter. Once the rocks make three or more mana (Sol Ring and Grim Monolith will do), each activation untaps every rock and the Scepter itself, with mana to spare.

  • Infinite blue mana

    Palinchron at high tide

    • 1 Palinchron

      Creature — Illusion

      Flying

      When this creature enters, untap up to seven lands.

      2UU: Return this creature to its owner's hand.

      On Scryfall ↗
    • 1 High Tide

      Instant

      Until end of turn, whenever a player taps an Island for mana, that player adds an additional U.

      On Scryfall ↗

    With seven Islands and High Tide resolved, Palinchron untaps them for fourteen blue. Four bounces it, seven recasts it, and three is left over each time. Caged Sun or Gauntlet of Power naming blue does the same job.

  • Win the game

    The win

    • 1 Laboratory Maniac

      Creature — Human Wizard

      If you would draw a card while your library has no cards in it, you win the game instead.

      On Scryfall ↗
    • 1 Braingeyser

      Sorcery

      Target player draws X cards.

      On Scryfall ↗

    Any infinite mana above goes into Braingeyser (or Mind Spring) targeting myself for more cards than my library holds. With Laboratory Maniac out, the draw from an empty library wins instead.

Cards I’m considering

The maybe pile. Thassa’s Oracle would be a second way to win off an empty library, and Fierce Guardianship and Flare of Denial are more counters that cost no mana.

  • 1 Retraced Image

    Sorcery

    Reveal a card in your hand, then put that card onto the battlefield if it has the same name as a permanent.

    On Scryfall ↗
  • 1 Season of Weaving

    Sorcery

    Choose up to five P worth of modes. You may choose the same mode more than once.

    P — Draw a card.

    PP — Choose an artifact or creature you control. Create a token that's a copy of it.

    PPP — Return each nonland, nontoken permanent to its owner's hand.

    On Scryfall ↗
  • 1 Fierce Guardianship

    Instant

    If you control a commander, you may cast this spell without paying its mana cost.

    Counter target noncreature spell.

    On Scryfall ↗
  • ✓Mana DrainAlready in the deck
  • 1 Spellseeker

    Creature — Human Wizard

    When this creature enters, you may search your library for an instant or sorcery card with mana value 2 or less, reveal it, put it into your hand, then shuffle.

    On Scryfall ↗
  • 1 Thassa's Oracle

    Creature — Merfolk Wizard

    When this creature enters, look at the top X cards of your library, where X is your devotion to blue. Put up to one of them on top of your library and the rest on the bottom of your library in a random order. If X is greater than or equal to the number of cards in your library, you win the game. (Each U in the mana costs of permanents you control counts toward your devotion to blue.)

    On Scryfall ↗
  • 1 Sakashima of a Thousand Faces

    Legendary Creature — Human Rogue

    You may have Sakashima enter as a copy of another creature you control, except it has Sakashima's other abilities.

    The "legend rule" doesn't apply to permanents you control.

    Partner (You can have two commanders if both have partner.)

    On Scryfall ↗
  • 1 Flare of Denial

    Instant

    You may sacrifice a nontoken blue creature rather than pay this spell's mana cost.

    Counter target spell.

    On Scryfall ↗
  • 1 Narset's Reversal

    Instant

    Copy target instant or sorcery spell, then return it to its owner's hand. You may choose new targets for the copy.

    On Scryfall ↗
  • 1 High Fae Trickster

    Creature — Faerie Wizard

    Flash (You may cast this spell any time you could cast an instant.)

    Flying

    You may cast spells as though they had flash.

    On Scryfall ↗

Card data, scans and art come from Scryfall. Magic: The Gathering belongs to Wizards of the Coast; this page is unofficial fan content, not approved or endorsed by Wizards.